Autumn 25 trends & easy updates

Ok, it’s time for our seasonal trend update and I’m short on time because it’s been a busy week so I’m whizzing through them a bit. If you’ve had a look around the shops you may have wondered what’s going on because it isn’t easy to define the Autumn 25 trends so let me take you behind the scenes and give you a little context. As always, the looks you see on the high street now were inspired by the designer catwalks that took place back in the spring this year… and the concepts we saw there were actually being thought up in early 2024. That is when a subsequently viral piece came out in British Vogue asking a simple question, “from mob wife to coastal grandma, why do we all dress the same?” It decried the fact that social media was driving trends so fast that by the time people had bought into them, they were over. As a result there was a counter-culture movement, rejecting the notion of following and copying what other people wear, kindling a move towards imperfection and individuality instead.

Kylie Jenner has been one of the leaders of what’s been named anti-algorithm dressing, deliberately working with her stylists to ensure that she’s repeat wearing iconic pieces from her existing wardrobe, pairing them with ultra plain outfits such as a black top and trousers that could come from anywhere. Where she has led, others have followed, digging around to find looks that are unique to them, that haven’t been spooned by a social feed. For the first time in a very long time everybody is keen to be less curated, instead they want to stand apart. It’s great news for the planet but at the luxury end of fashion it’s been catastrophic; despite the wealthy being generally insulated from the economic crisis the industry has seen its first big downturn in sales since 2016*.

You’d think that with a focus on the bottom line, designers would therefore be filling their catwalks with bigger, bolder, more innovative trends and exposing them to as many people as possible in an attempt to reconquer the sightline. However they’ve headed in the other direction, making their shows into small salon affairs with tiny guest lists and banning phones. If you think about it it’s clever, not only does a smaller event dramatically reduce costs but banning phones gives them total control of the imagery that comes out of the shows. It builds high curiosity and a desire to be one of the invited few. You can see why it’s being called an anti-algorithm movement, designers are moving away from ‘every influencer and their dog’ culture, back towards the fashion cognoscenti who understand and know how to write about fashion.

So is it contradictory to be looking at trends when the prevailing mood is individuality? Well the thing is that humans are social creatures and fashion is a form of communication. So even though we may be aiming for a more idiosyncratic look, there’s still an innate need to convey belonging, to demonstrate that we have at least one finger on the pulse, that we know what’s what.

What was on the catwalks for Autumn 25? Let’s start with the more esoteric end where on top of the move towards individual expression there was another backlash, this time against the trend for Stealth Wealth – you know the top to toe beige Meghan Markle look that came from Succession between 2018 and 2023. It led with what is being called ‘high fashion frump’ and the driver was Miuccia Prada with her ‘jolies laides’. The idea behind it is that you start with whatever you already have in your wardrobe (or perhaps your grandmother’s wardrobe) and build a look from there. It focuses on looks that are eclectic but it also rejects the polished and filtered delivery of social feeds by pulling together a beauty aesthetic that’s being called ‘frazzled Englishwoman’ – and we can all probably pull that one off!

Autumn 25 trends

High Fashion Frump

The intention is to subvert Instagram perfection by throwing together some of your old favourites, mixing them up with Vinted buys and then a few new additions that you select with care. Sarah Mower from US Vogue described the AW25 shows as, “a characterful intergenerational cast of people wearing skewed vintage-y clothes, odd cloches, spectacles, teased bouffants, and a few apparently badly self-set 1950s granny hairdos.” And yes, the shampoo and set is back – the cauliflower hairdo that we thought died away with the Queen is trending. If you have a man in your life he may well react in the same way that Mal did when he saw me poring over this on my screen!

But when you look at it you start to understand why the high street shops are full of tartan and checks… with retro leather boots… top handle bags… and sensible looking knits. They take the looks they see on the catwalks and distill them down. This kind of style is a difficult one isn’t it? It will look incredibly ironic on a 20-something but on us it’s actually what everyone expects… it’s the look we fight against.

Undone Elegance

If High Fashion Frump is a key look for daywear, as the season moves on towards party styling we move into Undone Elegance. There’s fur, velvet, satin and lace and a lot of negligée styling, much of it transparent. This will be easier to adopt – think lace camisoles, bias cut satin skirts and fur jackets that you may already have. Faux fur is everywhere by the way, you won’t be able to miss it this season. It’s confusing because whereas High Fashion Frump is about anti-femininity, Undone Elegance is about allure, even if it does still have a feeling of being thrown on rather than groomed.

Pirate Punk

Pirate Punk is another look you’ll see – there’s a lot of black with indie-sleaze – leather with studs worn with ruffled blouses, bondage styling and buckled boots. Just imagine the lovechild of Adam Ant and Siouxsie Sue and you’ll get the gist. By the way have you noticed the return of the knee-length in the last few pictures? Other than in the highly trending pencil skirts it won’t fully hit the high street for a few seasons yet but it’s coming.

The most wearable Autumn 25 trends

Preppy

Probably the easiest trend to lean into is preppy dressing and this is one that the retailers we know have confidently bought into. Corduroy is everywhere worn with argyle checks, rugby shirts and knitted twinsets in various forms as well as the pencil skirt – knee length of course. Preppy is always around in one form or another but this season you’ll see it updated with a lot of vibrantly coloured faux leather and faux fur as well as animal print – leopard of course but cow, snake and zebra are cooler.

Heritage

Preppy sits very closely alongside heritage, the difference between them is subtle – preppy has a more sporty edge referencing rugby, golf, cricket, netball and even football whereas heritage is more related to English country life with tweeds, tartan, brushed cashmere, fairisle and wellies. Preppy and Heritage can be easily mixed and matched in the same way as Preppy and Marine was over the summer.

Trending colours for AW25

The colours are lovely and a fairer spread than we’ve seen over the last few years with options for cooler skintones as well as warm and both high and low contrast choices available.

The key thing to take note of is the neutrals below, these are the base colours for your wardrobe. Chocolate brown is so key that it has a wide slice of its own on the palette – it dominates everything and will do for some time. It’s four years since I first told you it was coming and it’s finally landed hard on the high street. The level that retailers have bought into shows that they’re confident that it’s going to be around for a long time. You’ll notice that black doesn’t feature – which is great for anybody following Gothic Punk because it makes it even more of a rebellious look. Grey isn’t there either – the colour below is a pale, soft blue – think washed out denim. And navy is out in the cold – the Crown Blue is a soft, warm, dusty colour but you could reflect it with darker indigo dyes in your denim.

As we move towards the colourful winter months of November and December this is what the retailers are planning to give us. From left to right – a clear jewelled blue that is often rendered as purple or violet, a slight move on from butter yellow that will also be reflected in pale gold, bitter damson… dark and moody, a beautiful teal blue and rich tomato reds that move into shades of rhubarb pink and coral.

Autumn 25 trends & easy updates

Inspiration for Preppy

If you’re itching to get shopping and don’t know where to start, here are a few ideas. starting with preppy you’ll see a lot of mini-skirts around. I find them great to wear in winter because they work for both sides of my life – with a heeled boot in Newcastle and wellies in the NW. The great thing I’m noticing at the younger end of the retail brands is the rise of skorts – mini-skirts with built in shorts which are great both for warmth and for modesty if you’re sitting on a high stool in a bar. See here and here.

Red is exactly the accent you want to bring chocolate up to date – or try blue, cobalt if you have contrast in your colouring or a softer blue like this one or in teal if you don’t.

Top to bottom, L-R

• Mock croc trench coat – I have this and it’s nice quality, it’ll keep you dry and warm too plus there’s plenty of room for a slim down jacket underneath when it gets very cold. I haven’t decided whether to keep it because I worry the lapels make my shoulders look even bigger but it you like a trench coat, it’s a great buy.
• Chocolate tights – it isn’t easy to buy brown tights because the hosiery manufacturers don’t seem to have caught up with the trends but I’ve found some for you.
• Cowhide belt – another piece I’ve bought and can recommend. Belts are key this season and animal print does such a great job of lifting an otherwise plain outfit.
• Half zip sweat – great for wearing with jeans, a skirt or over your gym kit. Organic, ethical cotton, great quality that’ll last you for years.
• Stretch suede boots – these are 100% suede rather than being part microfibre and they cost a lot less than the LK Bennett ones – an investment buy that you’ll wear forever.
• Supersoft cord shirt – I’ve bought this too, it’s much nicer against the skin than a denim shirt and it adds texture but not bulk when you’re layering your outfits.
• Red cotton high neck top – robin redbreast is this season’s muse, the great thing about this top is that it has a single layer stand collar so you shouldn’t overheat.
• Leopard trainers – leopard trainers with funky laces and a credible sports brand too, these seem likely to fly out this season
• Wide leg cords – I’ve bought these as well – they come up short so I’ve had to return them for the Long but the fabric quality is much, much better than last year, it’s softer and heavier
• Mini with built-in skort – one of the skirts with inbuilt shorts that I mentioned, a saviour for breezy days
• Short-sleeved cardi-jacket – with this you can use the Me+Em website to pull off their looks at 10% of the price!
• Merino marl jumper – another recent buy for me, it’s a beautiful mouliné knit so you have darker and lighter flecks in it which adds interest to a dark outfit. I found it came up big and because I wanted to wear it with flares I’ve ended up with the XS. For a slim jean look I’d wear the S and with skinnies I’d go for M.
• Cowhide bag – my favourite style of bag because you can hook it over your shoulder and it won’t get in your way – plus this light cow print will go with any outfit to bring it bang up to date.

Inspiration for Heritage

The colours for Heritage are earthy tones, the shades that help you to blend in with your country estate, especially if you’re out on a shoot! Who remembers Viyella? There’s so much Viyella check around and yet it won’t mean a thing to the generations below us. With chunky boots these are outfits for country walks, if you’re in town try a glossy brown Chelsea boot or a ballet flat. Whereas Preppy works well with softer textures such as bags in suede or ponyskin, glossy leather accessories are key to Heritage – a mock croc bag or a pair of shiny loafers will take it away from any leaning towards Boho and into a different league.

L-R, top to bottom

• Green & damson argyle jumper – (due for a restock next week) argyle can be easier to wear in deeper tones if you’re keen to reference the pattern without steering towards the golf aesthetic
• Faux leather trousers – these are selling out as soon as they’re restocked but they do come back in regularly, also available in black
• Fair Isle cardigan – this looks more expensive than it is, like a hand me down piece of vintage Brora that’s come through the generations
• Check jacket – here’s the Viyella tribute, it makes me think of the chic women of my childhood when the label was at its peak
• Waxed jacket (more stock here) – a solid British brand that’s come through with a big creative refresh this season, no wonder the new styles are flying off the shelves
• Lambskin jacket – this is for deep pockets but I had to put it in purely for its beauty, it’s one you’d pass down through your family if you bought it
• Chunky boots – the suede finish of these softens the look of the fierce lug sole – great for tramping through leaves

I haven’t done a board for Pirate Punk – I know a few of you will be rubbing your hands at the thought of it (Maureen?) but you’ll do it better than I will. It was never quite my vibe but if they bring velvet knickerbockers back I’ll be there!

Film recommendation

We haven’t watched a film all summer but last Friday we had a month’s worth of rain in a few hours and so there was nothing for it but to curl up with a movie. I didn’t fancy any of Mal’s shooting and fighting recommendations so I trawled through Amazon Prime and deep in a dark corner I found Four Letters of Love. I read and loved the book (by Niall Williams) years ago – just enough time had passed for me to know it was good but not remember the story… you know that sweet spot where you don’t spend the whole film saying “well that’s not how it was in my head”?

Anyway with touches of magical realism the film focuses on two central characters who are made for each other but, in a bit of a sliding doors scenario, don’t quite meet. It’s a love story based in Ireland – the Ireland that I imagine but haven’t yet experienced and it stars Pierce Brosnan and Helena Bonham-Carter. I found it took about half an hour to settle into it but once I had, I was entranced. On Saturday afternoon I found myself rewinding the last ten minutes again and again just to hear the message in the beautifully crafted words  Reviews are mixed but I think that’s because a lot of people have watched it with a literal mind and haven’t suspended their disbelief. Both Mal and I thought it was absolutely beautiful – don’t miss it.

Comments

Thank you for your comments – always – and in particular for last week. So many were so thoughtful on the subject of envy and the way midlife pans out. I’m particularly grateful to those who shared their own stories and, as so often happens, I was humbled by the challenges that some of you are living with.

I know I can be a bit of a Pollyanna and it’s a deliberate choice. I grew up with a dad whose cup was always pretty full and a mum whose cup was very close to empty. I vividly remember sitting in the back of the car one Saturday when I was about seven, it’s such a clear memory that it still flies into my head whenever I pass the spot and that’s a few times a week. I couldn’t avoid listening to one of their conversations and my mum, as always, was almost hysterically insisting that something was the end of the world while my dad was gently saying that it would be ok in the end. It was a very regular occurrence but I remember in that particular moment vowing to always be positive like my dad when I grew up, never negative like my mum.

And so that’s why I cast everything in a positive light. I’m also aware that this blog goes out to you just as you start your weekend so I also want to leave you feeling good whenever I can. Sometimes though I forget what a blessing it is to be in a situation where I can do that – there’s so much luck involved in the way our lives turn out and I’m fortunate that just at this moment, everything is ok. If you’re going through one of those times when it isn’t then I hope I don’t ever leave you feeling any less. I always remember a line in a book that said that ‘we are all just hostages to fortune’. So while I’ll always keep the tone of this blog positive, I do know that life isn’t fair and some people have a larger share of bad luck… and when it comes, it so often all piles on at once.

While I’m on the subject of last week’s comments there’s also some useful information from qualified people about pensions too – with resources – so if you’re in that mindset, take a look.

In the meantime I hope the Autumn 25 trends have got you in the mood for a wardrobe sort-out this weekend – I’m going to be doing my big seasonal switchover given that I’ve had to put the heating in. We usually wait until Mal’s birthday next week but after our wonderful early spring we seem to have been in autumn since mid-August here and there’s frost in the mornings already. I need to pull some jumpers out and I have an unexpectedly empty two days because the middle one’s visa still hasn’t arrived so we won’t be taking him to the airport. He’s due to start his teaching job in Spain next Wednesday so you can see the whites of my eyes – not his of course… not yet… but even he’s getting a bit worried!

Anyway I’ll be back next Friday, hopefully with good news on that front and also with a look at some of the shops we haven’t discussed for a while because there’s change afoot in a few corners of the high street so I’ll bring you up to date.

*source: Business of Fashion

Disclosure: ‘Autumn 25 trends & easy updates’ is not a sponsored post

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